Strained Relations
by rgm0005
Summary: In less then three weeks, Manhattan fell and with it fell the first of many dominoes. Things are changing now and everyone knows it, just as they know the source of that change. Their reasons vary, but their purpose is the same; find the entity known as Alex Mercer.


**Strained Relations**

**CH-0001: Outbreaks**

"It has been three weeks since Marine Forces first began to occupy Manhattan Island," Batman began without preamble. This was not the time for speeches about responsibility or their purpose, so he didn't waste any time in it. "Two days after that, the Island was quarantined completely. All subways were shutdown, all bridges were fortified, and attempts to enter or leave the Island were met with immediate military response."

With a touch to the holo-screen before him, images appeared before every League member, showing pictures of destroyed helicopters and airplanes, sinking ships, and people bleeding on the bridges. Alarm quickly appeared on the League members faces—they'd heard of the quarantine, but information about what was happening on the Island itself was being tightly controlled.

"What!?" The Flash reacted first, as was his nature, staring at a picture of a gunned down family that had tried and failed to escape. "They can't do that!"

He paused for a moment, though who knew how long that was from the perspective of someone with his speed.

"Can they?"

"They can," Batman replied grimly. Another image appeared on their screens. "The 1st Biological Warfare Command, also known as the Blackwatch Special Forces, is in charge of the Island, and have been given free rein to do whatever needs to be done to solve the problem."

Eyes widened around the table at the mention of Biological Warfare as everything took a different light, but Captain Atom and the Green Lanterns also looked confused for a moment and it was easy to guess why. Adams and Jordan had been members of the Air Force and Stewart had been a Marine.

"Blackwatch?" Captain Atom wondered. "I've never heard of them before."

"Neither had I, until this incident." Batman admitted. "It's a black ops organization that didn't officially exist until it was needed three weeks ago, but I've managed to find evidence that they've been present since the early sixties. They are responsible for handling and containing biohazards and viral outbreaks, such as the current situation in Manhattan, and are amazingly well-prepared for that purpose. They have access to vast supplies of military and experimental technology—and some of the most impressive information control I've ever seen. After two weeks of digging, all I found was a mention to one previous incident in the town of Hope, Idaho, which was turned into a ghost town in the sixties, shortly after the organizations formation. The official story is that there was an armed rebellion led by a cult in the town and the military had been forced to intervene—but since the Biological Warfare Command handled the incident, I think its simple enough to imagine what actually happened. Beyond that, they also have full authority over all military forces and local police when it comes to biological warfare, and can request any information or amount of forces be placed under their command. The marines present in Manhattan are there under their orders, to aid in dealing with the situation."

"And what _is_ the situation, exactly?" John Stewart asked. More than a few of his old military friends had been sent to Manhattan and he hadn't heard a word back from them since.

A green map appeared across the screens.

"Signs of the infection first started appearing shortly before the quarantine on Day Three," Batman said. "On Day Four…"

A red circle appeared on the map.

"Four percent of the population was infected. By Day Six, that number rose to twenty percent. On Day Eight, nearly half of Manhattan was infected. On Day Ten, sixty-eight percent of Manhattan's population was infected by the disease and on the twelfth day, over four-fifths of the city was infected."

Faces paled as more and more red started to fill the map as Batman continued.

"On day eighteen, Operation Firebreak was authorized. The plan itself is a simple one—remove all military forces to a safe distance and detonate a tactical nuclear warhead on the infected area."

"What!?" Hal Jordan demanded. "We nuked _Manhattan_!? That was our plan B? Did we just decide that it was the only way to be sure!?"

"Also, I think I would have noticed if there had been a Mushroom Cloud over Manhattan." Superman added.

"Indeed. Operation Firebreak failed—so we'll classify it as 'not sure enough.'" Batman remarked dryly at Jordan. "Details on why it failed, like details on everything related to the incident, are few and far between, partially due to Blackwatch's information control, but mainly because everyone who knew anything about the incident seems to have been systematically exterminated. What information I did manage to gather from the databanks of the organizations involved paints an incomplete picture, because the most important details are all off the record—but here's what we know. Military records on the Island indicate that there were, in fact, two types of biological weapons at work on the Island. The first, according the Blackwatch's available records, is called DX-1118 A, codename Redlight. This is the biological weapon responsible for infecting Manhattan—and for causing this."

More images appeared on the screens, depicting walking corpses, bald and bloated humanoid figures, large tentacles with vertical maws, and massive hairless quadrupeds with exaggerated musculature.

"The Redlight virus mutates those infected by it into a variety of creatures based off of different strains of the virus, which itself can grow and evolve at an accelerated pace. Old research reports by Blackwatch and Gentek, an organization found to be related to the viruses, propose that it can produce thousands of new strains in a few weeks—maybe even just days. Many of these strains have little effect on the human body, but nowhere near all of them. From what is known of the virus, the mortality rate is at least 99.9%, with some reports going as far as to propose 99.999%, with those that are infected moving quickly to infect as many others as possible. Blackwatch's plan C, if Firebreak failed, was to quarantine the Island completely and let the virus burn itself out over time, a process estimated to take at most another month, at which point the Island would be sterilized."

"You mean let it kill everyone on the Island," Green Arrow said roughly.

"What about the other virus you mentioned?" Wonder Woman asked.

The monstrous images on the screens disappeared, replaced by a picture of a man in his late-twenties or early-thirties.

"DX-1118 C, codename Blacklight, was an artificially created version of Redlight made by Gentek scientists, most notably one Dr. Alexander J. Mercer, perhaps the world's foremost expert in genetic research. After infection, the virus activates junk DNA inside its victim. As a retrovirus, it contains both RNA and the reverse transcriptase enzyme, allowing it to insert its own genetic codes into living cells. It enters a host body, re-purposes it on a cellular level, and causes dramatic physical changes which prove almost exclusively fatal."

"That 'almost' makes me nervous," Aquaman said.

"There is one known survivor—Dr. Mercer himself. Exact details are not known, but what is known is this. On Day One of the infection, at Pennsylvania Station, Dr. Mercer was cornered by Blackwatch operatives, at which point he threatened to unleash the virus he'd created if not let go. He was refused and shot repeatedly, but not before making good on his threat and unleashing Blacklight on the city, which quickly killed everyone in Pennsylvania station and then began to spread further into the city. Dr. Mercer himself was pronounced dead and then taken to the morgue, where his status quickly changed as he got up off the slab and walked out under his own power. He largely disappeared from Blackwatch's sight for two days, before breaking into Gentek on the third and unleashing the Redlight virus, at which point he was declared a major priority after he proved how dangerous he had become."

"What happened to him?" Black Canary asked, sizing up the picture before her. He didn't look like much, but if things were this serious she would treat them as such, so she memorized his face until she was certain she'd be able to spot it in a crowd.

"Once again, Blackwatch hide the details and as near as I can tell, Dr. Mercer proceeded to kill them all and hide their bodies, so I do not know for sure what, exactly, happened—but Dr. Mercer proceeded to display a variety of powers apparently based off of the diseases ability to change his body, including shapeshifting, superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, senses, and healing factor, though precise details are still being researched. Blackwatch has codenamed him Zeus."

"That's a bit…presumptuous." Wonder Woman muttered. Batman glanced at her for a second before looking back at the others.

"There is not yet a full recording of Dr. Mercer's actions, but the most recent Blackwatch estimates claim that he has cost the United States more lives and money then World War II, by a fairly large margin, especially if one includes his acts of bioterrorism. As of today, when the US Government released details pertaining to him to foreign nations, he has been listed as the most dangerous and most wanted criminal in the world by several dozen different organizations and has been listed as an international threat."

Even Wonder Woman had to pause at that.

"Why wasn't the League called in on this?" Captain Marvel demanded. "If he killed that many people…if the League had been informed, we might have been able to save thousands of lives!"

"The official explanation from Blackwatch is that it was too much of a risk. Both viruses evolve based on their circumstances and their hosts. The only reason Blackwatch managed to contain the viruses at all was due to their inability to cross bodies of water. The possibility of them potentially infecting Aquaman or a member of the League capable of flight was deemed too great a risk to involve the Justice League—as was the potential of them infecting people with Superpowers and potentially adapting them amongst the infected."

"That doesn't explain all of us," John Stewart spoke up. "My ring insulates me from the possibility of infection and it has nothing to do with my Biology."

"Indeed. There are a number of heroes that could have involved themselves in the matter, but were forbidden from doing so. I suspect there's more at work here and we need to find out what."

"Wait…you said the Government released information about Mercer today? Why did they change their stance so suddenly?" Superman asked.

"Dr. Mercer was assumed dead after Operation Firebreak, which he prevented by stealing the Warhead and flying it away from Manhattan in a helicopter. After it detonated, Blackwatch officially recorded him as deceased—a designation they were forced to change once again two days later when he reappeared. With the large majority of Blackwatch command dead and the rest in disarray, they were unable to formulate a response quickly enough to stop him as he escaped from Manhattan Island. As of today, Alexander Mercer's location is completely unknown. I don't think I need to explain why we must change that as quickly as possible, before Manhattan has a chance to repeat itself."

Resolved expressions filled the room. An incident like this…to happen so quickly without any of them being able to stop it…it would not happen again. They'd make sure of it.

"What do we know about…Zeus now," Wonder Woman questioned.

"Very little. He left Manhattan on a boat heading towards New Jersey, which was found abandoned there this morning. Signs at the landing site point to him having more than one person with him. Their identities are currently unknown, but it is likely they are the group of people Blackwatch refers to collectively as 'Athena,' who are responsible for provide Dr. Mercer with information he should not have access too. Blackwatch seems certain that there is more than one person aiding Dr. Mercer in this regard, but currently has only one suspect—his younger sister, Dana A. Mercer, whom he rescued from Blackwatch on Day One of the Infection, shortly after leaving the morgue. Dr. Mercer has shown signs of being highly protective of her—if we wish to find her, she is likely our best chance. Flash and the Green Lanterns will investigate the landing site. All League Members capable of flight will patrol the surrounding area from above, in case he is still here. The rest of the team will assist me in attempting to uncover the information Blackwatch has, in the hopes that we will be able to make use of the information, which unfortunately may take some time. The President has given us full access to Blackwatch's information, but at same time, Dr. Mercer was very through in killing everyone who knew anything. We will hopefully be able to find someone he missed. We'll meet again to exchange preliminary information in two days' time. Dismissed."

**XxXXxX**

The TV turned on with the push of a button.

"_News 1 has confirmed that a nuclear weapon of unknown origin has detonated off the shore of Southern Manhattan. Estimates place it at approximately five times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima—the equivalent of eighty kilotons of TNT." _The news reporter said, unable to keep the strained tone out of her voice. This was a serious—unprecedented, even—situation and even the professionals knew it.

Click. She changed the channel.

"_Is there anything you'd like to say?" _A male reporter she didn't recognize asked.

"_Uh…naw. I guess…I'd just tell everyone we're okay. You know, we're gonna be okay. New York will bounce back."_

Click.

"_If it wasn't for the Marines, we'd be dead—all of us would be dead. We _owe_ them."_

Click.

"_I have Sergeant Detwiler here with me. Sergeant, what can you tell us about the present state of the infection?"_

"_Since last night, nothing. They don't seem…driven in the same way. They're not a real threat anymore."_

Click.

"_It's been ten minutes since the vice-president has been on the ground. Senator Ambrose is expected to make a statement."_

The camera shifted, focusing on a middle-aged politician. In the background, there was the dull sound of cheering, but they fell quite as he raised his hand and began to speak.

"_New York has weathered the first act of Biological and Nuclear terrorism in the history of the world. It is a testament to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces that New York is still standing."_

There was another moment of applause at that, though they quickly fell silent again.

"_We will find those responsible,"_ Senator Ambrose continued. _"We will drag them out of their hiding places. And we _will make them pay. _Whoever they are. Wherever they are. Whatever weapons they possess. They will learn the final lesson: America does not start wars; America _ends_ them!"_

The cheers erupted again, and she just barely heard Senator Ambrose say thank you before changing the channel again.

"—_Alexander J. Mercer, also known by the alias Zeus, is currently the main suspect behind the terrorist attacks that occurred in Manhattan. His current location is unknown, though it has been confirmed that he has left Manhattan Island. He is to be considered Armed and Extremely Dangerous, but the FBI is offering a reward of up to ten million dollars for information leading directly to his arrest. Throughout the world, over three dozen organizations have promised their full support in tracking down and capturing him, including the Justice League—"_

Annoyed, Dana shut the TV off again.

"I can't believe they're going to blame this on _you_ Alex!" She said, reclining tiredly in her seat. She'd mostly recovered from her ordeal, but not completely, and Ragland had recommended she rest.

She didn't sense him approach, but when she looked up, there he was, leaning silently against the side of her chair.

"What did you expect them to say?" He said finally. "That Gentek had been researching the development of extremely dangerous biological weaponry in the middle of a major city? That they were willing to nuke Manhattan to clean up their own mess? I'm a convenient scapegoat. This is to be expected."

What he didn't mention was that the real Alex Mercer had played more than a small role in all of this. He wasn't exactly thrilled in baring the consequences of his maker's atrocities, but he supposed that was what happened when you completely take over someone's life, even unknowingly.

He glanced down at his 'sister,' pondering what to say to her. It would be a lie to say he was unfamiliar with fear—he knew what it was like. He'd felt it when he'd first awoken in the morgue, feeling so weak. He'd felt it when Hunters had basically rained down on him after Elizabeth Greene had escaped, he'd felt it when Dana had been taken, he'd felt it when the cure that should have taken down Greene had just resulted in a more powerful monster to fight, he'd felt it when Dana wouldn't wake up even after he rescued her, he'd felt it when Cross turned into said hulking behemoth that should have been dead, and he'd felt it when a nuclear bomb had gone off way to close for his comfort.

The feeling he felt now was different from any of those in two major ways. First of all, all of those situations had involved either himself or someone he cared about being in danger. Second of all, even when he'd been afraid, he'd never hesitated.

And yet, even though there was no physical danger involved, he was…nervous about telling Dana the truth.

He frowned, pondering that. He was concerned about the way she would react if he told her the truth; he'd already recognized that much. It wasn't a feeling he was familiar with possessing, though—most of Blackwatch had thought him a horrific monster and more than a few members of it knew the truth about him, if not the whole truth, and he could say with complete certainty he honestly didn't care what they thought. Until he'd realized how he felt about this matter, he'd been fairly certain that he hadn't cared what _anyone_ thought, actually. He'd stopped Greene and kept Blackwatch from blowing up the city, saving thousands of innocent people, and that felt…good? Perhaps? But he didn't care if they thought of him as a hero or a monster. He just couldn't understand how it mattered what they thought of his actions, when those thoughts wouldn't change what had actually happened, and he had no particular desire to be loved or respected.

At least, he was pretty sure he didn't care. But he'd thought the same about Dana before. He hadn't thought much of it at the time; she'd asked how he could possibly know the things he knew and he'd told her how the things he consumed became a part of him. He hadn't considered it to have any more value or meaning then that; simply the answer to a question.

And yet…when she'd recoiled in fear…he hadn't liked it and he hadn't been sure why. He knew _why_ he was _supposed_ to feel that way—because she was his little sister and he loved her as such, at least the latter of which was still true—but it still didn't completely make sense to him. He'd spent the majority of his life, all three weeks of it, being feared by _someone_ and it had never seemed to matter. But when Dana had backed away from him in fear…when she'd told him to go…it had mattered.

Perhaps that was why he hesitated now? Was he worried about a similar reaction if he revealed that he was not, in fact, 'still her brother'? Or perhaps it was the more instinctive fear of the unknown, since he couldn't predict how to react and this was one of the few situations that having thousands of lifetimes worth of memories _didn't_ prepare him for?

In the end, all he was certain of was that it was a very human way to act, which itself made him wonder if he should be pleased about that or annoyed. He hadn't yet decided how he felt about this Pinocchio game he seemed to have been unknowingly playing. He'd need to figure that out as well. Later, though—and he'd eaten enough people skilled in the realm of psychology to know that he was avoiding the issue, but he didn't really care.

Extracting himself from his thoughts, he looked down at Dana. She hadn't responded to his words yet, but her body language was easy enough to read for someone with his extensive, stolen experience.

"You seem worried," He stated the obvious.

"Of course I'm worried. Lies or not, we're the most wanted people in the world, now." She said quietly.

"I won't let you get hurt again," He said and, after pausing for a moment to contemplate whether it was appropriate, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him.

"Stupid," She stated frankly. "It's not me I'm worried about. Don't you realize who they're sending after you?"

He did know.

They were sending everyone.

He pushed off from where he was leaning against her seat and turned to face her fully, crouching so that they were eye level with each other.

"Don't worry about me," He said. "I'll be okay. You know how strong I am, right?"

She smiled at him, trying to hide her worry.

"Oh, yeah. My big brother can rip apart a tank with his bare hands." She teased, before her expression became more serious. "But they're going to be sending more than tanks after you now, Alex. Didn't you hear what they said? The Justice League…"

"I'll be okay," He promised again. "But…things are going to be hectic for awhile, I think. I'm going to need you to—"

"Stay inside, yeah," She said. "I know. After three weeks, I'm used to it."

Used to didn't equal happy with, Alex knew.

"It won't be like this forever," He promised. "I won't let them keep you locked up in here forever, Dana. Just be patient until I can get things worked out a bit and I'll think of something. Okay?"

"Yeah," she said after a moment, but her eyes were worried. Worried about what he was going to do next, for him, and for herself. "Okay. I believe you, Alex. Just…be careful, okay?"

He nodded at her.

"Get some rest." He told her. "Ragland, take care of her while I'm gone, okay?"

**XxXXxX**

Even separated by hundreds of miles, they were connected. Though they often hid their faces from others, everyone gathered knew who the others were, so there was little point in doing so amongst each other, when each of them was carefully hidden away from prying eyes. In each location, there were seven screens—six for their fellows and one for their own use. And it _was_ in use, displaying images and recordings of recent events, alongside data, statistics, estimations, reports, and more. Working together, their power was great and their reach was long—and, unhindered by the moral scruples of their unknowing opponents, they had access to sources of information even the famed Justice League did not.

Of the seven, six watched quietly as the footage displayed before them all, while the seventh ohed and ahed at the sights, giving occasional commentary and laughing occasionally as if he were watched the year's summer blockbuster. None of the others were bothered by his enthusiasm, long since used to it.

Besides, it's not like they didn't agree with him. It was certainly an impressive sight.

As the display came to an end, it was the sixth who spoke first.

"Dr. Alexander Mercer…" He said, ponderingly. "I've heard of him before, though I'm afraid I've never had the pleasure of meeting the man. His thesis on RNA polynucleotides was marvelously done, however, and I followed his research with more than a little interest."

"In his field, the man is brilliant," The third replied, a hint of disappointment in his tone. "I considered making him a job offer, but Genetics isn't the field I pay the most attention too, so I was a bit too slow on the draw, I'm afraid. I'll admit, I was also a bit interested in seeing how far he'd go—and in that regard, I'd say he's surpassed my expectations. Though, I must say, I also feel a bit lucky not to have been his first employer—though I do like to think I would have handled this situation a bit better then Gentek did."

"I think the moral of this story is not to attempt to murder the man you just had engineer an unstoppable supervirus." The fourth agreed. "Or to at least wait until such a time that he does not have access to a sample of said unstoppable supervirus. I assume this is something that became clearer to the involved parties in hindsight."

"Speaking of superviruses…" The fifth spoke up. "It _is_ quite impressive, is it not? Both in how it behaves as a virus and in what it did to the good Doctor. I can imagine a few interesting uses for either, I must say."

"As, I'm certain, we can all," The first said, speaking for the first time since the footage began. "Which brings us to the reason we're here. The power of this virus, regardless of its purpose, lies yet in the hands of its Creator, so it must be asked—what should we do about Dr. Alexander Mercer?"

"I like him," The seventh said immediately, a smile twisting his lips. "If you could _feel_ the Chaos he caused…"

A purr of distinct pleasure came from his side.

"Indeed, his actions are impressive and he has proven himself quite capable of tearing through anything that gets in his way—if nothing else, he will no doubt make a marvelous distraction for the Justice League." The second admitted. "The question arises, however, if he might not become a _threat_. Look at Manhattan—that all happened in three weeks, even while the government deployed untold resources to attempt to stop it. If allowed to run rampant, I am forced to wonder if this virus Dr. Mercer made could be stopped."

"There is still much we don't know about Manhattan—and won't know, until we manage to gather enough minds for dear Psimon to pick through—but even now, not everything adds up," The fourth disagreed.

"Indeed," The third supported. "If wanton destruction was Dr. Mercer's goal, I doubt he could be stopped. With the virulence of his creation and his own ability to hide, I imagine we would have heard by now if he was actively spreading his virus, and no one would be able to find or stop him until it was far, far too late."

"Further, if destruction for destruction's sake was his goal, I imagine he would have done more with that nuclear bomb then detonate it harmlessly at sea. No, there is definitely a method to his madness—and I would prefer not to make an enemy of him until I knew what that method actually was." The Sixth said. "More than that, I am loath to act without knowing the truth. If nothing else, it seems only logical to wait on Mr. Jones findings before drawing any conclusions."

"Dr. Mercer's actions definitely seem to be too logical to be those of a madman." The fourth admitted. "Look at the reports—the places that were attacked, the people that disappeared; it's not random, it's systematic. Key operatives were taken out without anyone the wiser, some even disappearing from the middle of military bases without anyone realizing it until later. Chances to cause destruction were ignored when they would be counter-productive—but when he did lash out, it was to deal crippling blows. Even if at the moment a great many of his actions seem to make little sense, I have no doubt that there are explanations; we simply do not have them. I, too, would be interested in waiting on the Doctor."

"If he so, his skill in his field would be most helpful," The second admitted. "And I will not deny that his other abilities could come in handy. There is always the risk that someone might catch wind of our plans, in which case it would be useful to have someone willing and able to combat some of our more…dangerous opponents."

"His skill with infiltration would be a great asset," The first rumbled. "Though our allies bring a great many gifts to the table, the fact remains that a great many of their faces and identities are known. Someone who can operate in locations we otherwise cannot access would be invaluable."

"We have an accord then?" The third asked. "To wait and see before acting?"

"We would first need someone in a position to do so," The second murmured. "Something made difficult by his ability to shapeshift—and by the fact that we don't know where he is to begin with."

"Leave that to me," The seventh said. "Where he goes, chaos follows. I can find him, no problem."

"Then I'll supply one of my men to…shadow him, for a time." The second decided.

"Then we are agreed. We shall be patient, for now—and perhaps the Good Doctor may come to see the Light."


End file.
